Newly elected Nigerian Bar Association President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), has pledged to unite the association and prioritise members’ welfare, professional development and accountability following her victory in the NBA’s 2026 national election.
Badejo-Okusanya secured 12,317 votes to defeat Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), who polled 7,934 votes, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN), who received 5,855 votes. She becomes the NBA’s 33rd president and the first woman elected to the office.
In her acceptance speech, she described the result as a mandate to build a stronger and more inclusive Bar, promising to work for every lawyer regardless of their preferred candidate.
She also called for reconciliation after the keenly contested election, urging members to put the contest behind them and work together to advance the legal profession and uphold the rule of law.
However, both Akangbe and Akinboro rejected the election, alleging widespread technical failures, voter disenfranchisement and irregularities during the electronic voting process.
The candidates questioned the credibility of the exercise, citing delays, authentication failures, problems with one-time passwords and the electronic voting platform, despite the Electoral Committee’s explanation that the system had been disrupted by a cyberattack.
Outgoing NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN) appealed for calm, urging lawyers to avoid actions that could deepen divisions within the association and instead support efforts to strengthen future electoral processes through a comprehensive review of the election.
